Interlocking flooring systems of various types are known. One type of flooring is often referred to as “floating” because none of the floor panels, whether they are elongated rectangular panels or less elongated panels, are secured to the subfloor. To provide both vertical and horizontal locking at joints along the long and short edges between adjacent panels, specially configured edge profiles having variously angled mating surfaces have been used. The long edges may be interlocked by “fold-to-lock” arrangements while interlocking along the short edges may be interlocked by “push-to-lock” arrangements. At the fold-to-lock joints, the long edge of a first floor panel is first inserted laterally at angle to a second floor panel already positioned on a subfloor. The first floor panel is then folded downwards onto the subfloor to form locking engagement between the panels at the long edges. Occurring substantially simultaneously with this folding motion during installation, the short edge of the first floor panel is inserted and pushed vertically into the short edge of a third floor panel already positioned on a subfloor adjacent to the first plate at the short edge producing the push-to-lock joint. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that only either the long or short edges may be angularly inserted into already laid floor panels using the fold-to-lock engagement.
The foregoing fold-to-lock and push-to-lock interlocking features have been used with different types of flooring materials, including floor panels made of rigidly structured hardwood, high density fiberboard (HDF), medium density fiberboard (MDF) or other rigidly structured materials. For such rigid floor panels, however, achieving locking on the short edges in particular often presents two issues.
The first issue is achieving suitable locking engagement between two adjacent panels along the short edges. For panels made from materials with a higher hardness, the short edge push-to-lock locking profiles need to meet exacting fabrication tolerances so that the mating locking profiles can effectively engage and lock with each other. Tools such as a mallet may be needed in order to force the short edges into locking engagement, which creates the potential for damaging the flooring.
The second issue with relatively rigid floor panels concerns noise which develops from movement within the locking joints particularly as the flooring ages. The rigid mating materials of the floor panels at the joints may rub together. Because the rubbing materials are rigid, noises such as moans, squeaks, or creaks may be produced when the floor is walked upon which is objectionable.
An improved interlocking floor panel and system is desired for rigid floor panels.